Differential axle device.



1 No. 891,958. PATENTED JUNE so, 1908.

B. R. sEABRooK @L P. c. PRIESTLY.

'DIFFERENTIAL AXLB DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1907.

ring strain such as 1s put upon an'axle used lso cause,V the bolts, screws or rivets to crys-4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BAGSTER R. SEABROOK AND FRANK C. PRIESTLY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN- ORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN DIFFERENTIAL RAILWAY AXLE COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA' TERRITOR Y. A y

DIFFERENTIAL AXLE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

To all whom 'it may concern:

lBe it known that we, `BAesri'in R. SEA-i BROOK, 'a subject l of Great Britain, and FRANK C. IRrnsrLY, a citizen of the United States, both residing at Los Angeles, county of LosAngeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Differential AxleDevices, of which, the following `is a speciiication.

Heretofore'in f differential axle devices it has been customary to connect the arts of the axle by means of a `box or jacket, the partsv of which ,were secured ,together by means of bolts, screws or rivets. In this construction, however, where the differential axle' was subjected to any constant jarfor cars, the vconstant jarring to which the same isA subjected would cause the bolts, yscrews or rivets Yto become loose, and would tallize so that the parts of the'box were liable to become separated or deiiected by reason of the nuts coming off or'the bolts, screws or rivetsbreaking, thereby rendering the device unsafe.

Itis thel object of our invention to connect the parts ofthe axle without the use of bolts,

screws or rivets, and in such manner that the usualjar upon such an axle, when used for railway purposes, does nothave any eifect upon the members of the box which connects the parts of the axle to ,causethem to' accidentally separate, or to crystallize andto break.

Another object is to provide a box so constructed that by the use of appropriate appliances, applied directly te the members comprising the box the same can be separate when desired. so that a portion of the axle` can be removed, should the same be-V come accidentally broken, or should the same become worn out, without interfering with the other ortion of the axle.

Weaccomp ish these objects by the device described-herein and illustrated in the accompanying. drawings `which show our inventlon app ied to the axle of a railway car, the wheels and axlebein'gshown in elevation and the box orcoupling device shown section.

` In the drawings l are the car wheels which are secured upon the axle 2 inthe usual manner. The axleis cut in two at 3. The parts 2t and 2b of the axle are secured together by means of the coupling device which consists of a sleeve 4 which is secured .upon the inner-part of the portion 2b of the axle by lbeing forced thereon by hydraulic, orl other pressure. -Beyond the inner end of the part 2b of the axle sleeve 4 is bored out so as to chamber the annular securing ring 5 which is secured upon the inner end of the part 2*? of the axle. The extreme inner end of the part 2a of the axle is reduced in size so as to pass through the bore of the'annular ring 5 when suitable pressure is applied thereto, and the inner end after f assing slightly through this annular ring is leaded down upon the ring so as to revent its coming ofi'. We prefer to put t is annular ring upon the end of this portion of the axle by great pressure so as to still further secure the same thereto before the same is riveted. If desired, however, the reduced portion of this axle could be exteriorly threaded an'd the' ring interiorly threaded and the ring secured to the axle by being screwed thereon before being'riveted or it could be screwed therein andfrozen thereto. The parts can also be secured together'by'one part being shrunken on the, other. 4 1 The. annular securing ring is preferably of a greater diameterthan the axle, and that portion of the A axle 4to lwhich the same is secured ispreferably reducediin size where it asses through `sleeve 6, asshown in the rawinis. T e inner `end of sleeve 6 is prefere. lyAreduced in size so as to be able to e forced -by hydraulic pressure or other pressure within the sleeve 4 until the shouler7 thereof engages the end of.' sleeve e,

sleeve 6 the axle is preferably enlarged to form' a shoulder I8 ,and the sleeve is correspondingly enlarged at this point. The O b'- ject of construction is to make a break near the outer end of the sleeve in the line lof engagement between the'sleeve and. this `portion of thev axle to provide what wecail a dust joint at lthe outer endjof the sleeve, between the sleeve and the-axle and te prevent Amovement of the sleeve toward the'.

Wheel.

`Sleeve '6 is provided with an annular ledge 9 and sleevefiis provided with a like annular ledgel 10 that roper ap liances may be secured upon the) ends of the sleeve. so that the sleeves 4 and 6 may be forced apart in case it is desired to replace either of the' parts 2a or 2b. The inner end of the part 2b ofthe axle is reduced in size to form a shoulder 11 -and where*v it enters the sleeve it is likewise reduced 'in size to lform a shoulder 12, and thesleeve is of a coniguration to t upon the end of' this portion.. These shoulders.

are provided to prevent any outward thrust of the sleeve 4. Sleeve 4 is D i supplied vto the rotating parts.

By this construction itwill be observed that by the use of sutlicient pressure, by

means of hydraulic or other apparatus the securing ring can be fastened upon one part o'l the axle, the parts of .the sleeves secured together and upon the other part of the axle .so as to produce the necessary resistance against separation of the parts, whereby the parts of the axle are-secured together With' out the use of bolts, screws or rivets, thereby making a self-contained bearing which cannot be atfected by the ordinary jar, and the' part-s of which cannot accidentally become separated, and at the same time the parts are so secured together that it desired by the use ot appro riate mechanism, the same can be disassem `fled. It will be observed that either car wheel can rotate independently of the other wheell on the saine axle, thereby.A

preventing friction in turning curves or when there 'is any'inequality in the surface Yofthe rovided With lubricant ports 13 and 14 and internallubritreintjeV rails upon which the wheels run, and to provide for inequality in the diameters of the wheels.

Having'described our invention what we claim is: i i

1. A differential axle -device mechanism comprising a box formed of .telescopic parts, sa-id box having an internal groove, one portion of said box being loosely passed upon the inner end of one portiony of the divided axle, and the other portion of the'box being secured upon the inner end oi the other por tion of the f divided axle; a securing ring secured upon the inner end of that ortion ot' the divided axle which is loose y passed through a portion of the-box after the end of the axle has been passed through such portion of the.box,said two portions of the box being then united by frictional engagement eiected bygreat pressure.

2. In a differential axleA device a self-contained coupling' box having the parts telescopically secured together by means of the frictional enfrage'rnent of such parts.

3. In a di erential axle device a self-contained coupling box having tclesco ic parts secured together by pressure aiu having ledges on the ends thereof whereby the same can be separated when desired, substantially as and for the purpose s aecified.

4. In a differential axlie device a self-con `tained coupling box having the parts telescopicallT secured together by means of the frictiona engagement ot such parts; and

having lubricating ports and channels therein. 

